Framework for Basic Marketing and Promotions Plan

(including plans for public and media relations, sales, advertising and promoting, and customer service)

Description
The following framework will guide you through completion of a basic marketing
and promotions plan. Associated plans include public and media relations plan,
sales plan, and advertising and promotions plan.

NOTE: The framework depicts a useful format, but should be duplicated into
an editable version, for example, into Microsoft Word.

Guidelines are provided to fill in the section and links to additional resources
are provided.

Readers are encouraged to work with a planning team in their organization to
fill in this framework. After completing this framework, readers can move information
from the framework to a more suitable document to be the final version of the
plan document, if desired.

Mission Statement

Portrays the basic purpose of our organization and the groups of customers
that it serves. The mission statement should be referenced when designing and
implementing the marketing and promotions plan. (For assistance, see Basics
in Developing a Mission Statement.)

Positioning Statement

Portrays the unique role of our organization and how it fills that role.
The statement depicts how we want others to view our organization. This statement
is the essence of how we want the media, and others, to recognize our organization.
The statement is the basis for wording used in ads and other methods of promotion.
(For assistance, see Positioning.)

Script for Representing Our Organization to External Stakeholders

Portrays key points to make when representing the organization to external
groups. The script is referenced by key personnel (board members, chief executive,
etc.) to represent the organization to external stakeholders, for example, funders/investors,
reporters, etc.

Stakeholders, Messages and Methods (Media Plan and Calendar)Consider the major stakeholders for your organization, for example,
employees, board members, funders/investors, reporters, collaborators, associations,
etc. Consider what you'd like each stakeholder to think of your organization.
What media do they read and listen to and when? What media is most practical
for you to use in terms of access and affordability? The following link
might be useful to you in this activity: Major
Methods of Advertising and Promotion.

Stakeholder
Group

Message
to
Convey
(consider what's
important to them)

Method

When to Use
Method

Additional thoughts/comments and any actions we should take:What do we need to do to make the above happen? What major steps must occur?
What must be developed? Who should be contacted? What resources might you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

Procedure for Managing Media Contacts

The following procedure and/or talking points will be used for all calls from
and to reporters, or other contacts with the media, including, for example:
newspapers, magazines, television, radio, etc.

Preferred Media and Contacts

The following media and contacts are preferred when promoting our organization.
These media (newspapers, television, radio, etc.) and contacts have been used
in the past, understand our organization and our marketplace, etc.

What do we need to do to make the above happen? What major steps must occur?
What must be developed? Who should be contacted? What resources might you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized
into the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan.
That section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and
the budgeted amount to achieve the goals.

=======MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS OF SERVICES
=======

You should consider addressing the following subsections in this overall
section for each of your products and/or services.

Description of Product / ServiceThe overall goals of the organization
very much determine what you want to do with each of your products/services.
For example, strategic goals might be to expand the number of customers
that you have now, expand the number of products that you have, etc.

Describe your product/service. The description should be written as if your
customers are the readers. In the description, include the specific groups of
customers served by the product/service, nature of the method(s) in the product/service,
outcomes for customers and any other benefits to them, and where they should
go next if they are interested in using the product/service. Be careful to describe
the product/service in terms of benefits to customers, not to you. For example,
address pricing, convenience, location, quality, service, atmosphere, etc.

Any additional thoughts/comments about the product/service description:

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized
into the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan.
That section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and
the budgeted amount to achieve the goals.

Target markets are the specific groups of people whom you want to
benefit with your product/service. The target
markets are determined by your strategic goals strategies.

Your Target Markets
and Primary Benefits of Your Products/Services to Them

Target Markets

Primary Benefits to Them

Target Market 1 (Optional: Goals ____, Strategies ____
)
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Profiles of Your Target Markets (Customer Profiles)
The more you know about your customers, the better you might be at
serving them. At this point, write down a customer profile, or description
of each of the groups of customers (or target markets). Consider, for example,
their major needs, how they prefer to have their needs met, where they are
and where they prefer to have their needs met and demographics information
(their age ranges, family arrangement, education levels, income levels,
typical occupations, major interested, etc).

Target Market #1: ____Make copies of this section as needed for your number of target markets

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized
into the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan.
That section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and
the budgeted amount to achieve the goals.

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:How do you plan to compete, for example, offer better quality products/services,
lower prices, more support, easier access, etc?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized
into the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan.
That section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and
the budgeted amount to achieve the goals.

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:What can you do next to initiate consideration of collaboration with other
organizations? What needs to happen next? Who needs to be involved? What resources
do you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized
into the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan.
That section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and
the budgeted amount to achieve the goals.

Are we recovering our costs to produce and provide the product/service?

Is the current price affordable to customers?

Is our pricing competitive?

What should be the pricing structure that we use for this product/service (for
example, deferred payments, installment payments, etc.)?

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:What do we need to do to make that happen? What major steps must occur? What
must be developed? Who should be contacted? What resources might you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:Consider: What do we need to do to make the sales methods and goals happen?
What major steps must occur? What must be developed? Who should be contacted?
What resources might you need? Should staff attend sales training?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

Advertising and Promotions PlanThe plan includes what target markets
you want to reach, what features and benefits you want to convey to each
of them, what methods and media you will use to convey it to them, who is
responsible to implement the methods and how much money is budgeted for
this effort. The plan often includes plans for a promotional campaign, including
an advertising calendar and media plan. The goals of the plans should depend
very much on the overall goals and strategies of the organization, and the
results of the marketing analysis, including the positioning statement.

When selecting methods, consider what communications
methods and media will be most effective in reaching target markets (groups
of customers) and when. What are their preferences for media and when do
they use them? (The link
Basic
Methods to Get Customer Feedback might be helpful
now.) Consider, for example, radio, newsletters, classifieds, displays/signs,
posters, word of mouth, press releases, direct mail, special events, brochures,
neighborhood newsletters, etc.
What media is most practical for you
to use in terms of access and affordability? (The
link
Major Methods of Advertising
and Promotion might be helpful now.)

Markets, Messages and Methods (Media Plan and Calendar)

What do you want your target markets to think about your service?
What media do they read and listen to and when? What media is most practical
for you to use in terms of access and affordability? The following link
may be helpful to you when completing the following table: Major
Methods of Advertising and Promotion.

Target Market
(customer group)

Message
to Convey
("What's in it for customer?")

Method
to Convey It

When to Use
Method

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:What do you need to do to make the above happen? What resources are needed
to accomplish the methods? Who is responsible to implement the methods?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

Production PlanningProduction includes the resources and processes needed to
continue to develop the service to meet the demands of the customers.
Note that the development and implementation of various
production methods do not have to be addressed in detail in a marketing
plan -- these topics are usually included in the operations or management
planning for the product. However, production should be generally considered
during the marketing analysis to ensure the eventual detailed production
planning takes into consideration the needs of target markets and having
their needs met on time.

Will the product/service be produced in time to meet current needs of
the target markets?

Will the product/service be produced in time to meet future needs of the target
markets (for example, over the next three years)? What's needed to ensure the
future needs are met?

What major resources and activities will be needed in the near future?

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:What do we need to do to make the above happen? What major steps must occur?
What must be developed? Who should be contacted? What resources might you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

Distribution Planning(For assistance, see Distribution
Channels.)
Distribution includes the resources and activities required to bring your
product/service together with the customer in order to benefit from it.
Matters of distribution of the product/service
can be critical for organizations, especially if they are providing critically
needed products/services to specific groups of customers. (The link
Distribution
may help you.)

What is the best means to distribute the product/service to customers?(Consider, for example, should customers come to your facility? You go
to them? Are there other means, for example, services over the phone?)

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:What do we need to do to make the above happen? What major steps must occur?
What must be developed? Who should be contacted? What resources might you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

Are customers highly satisfied with the product/service and how do you
know?(This section might include references to other reports, eg., product evaluations,
etc.)

What should we be doing to ensure that customers are highly satisfied?(Consider policies and procedures, staff training, scheduled evaluations,
basic forms of market research, etc.)

Additional thoughts/comments and any resulting actions we should take:What do we need to do to make the above happen? What major steps must occur?
What must be developed? Who should be contacted? What resources might you need?

Actions in this area should be worded as specific goals and organized into
the section "Goals, Responsibilities ..." later in this plan. That
section includes goals, responsibilities, dates for completion and the budgeted
amount to achieve the goals.

======= MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF PLAN ============Responsibilities and Frequencies for Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan's section,
goals, etc.

Completion
date

Respon-
sibility

Written
description
of results to:

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Key Questions While Monitoring Implementation of
the Plan

The following questions should be modified to suit the nature
and needs of the organization.

Monitoring and evaluation activities will consider the following questions:

1. Are goals and objectives being achieved or not? If they are, then
acknowledge, reward and communicate the progress. If not, then consider
the following questions.

2. Will the goals be achieved according to the timelines specified in
the plan? If not, then why?

3. Should the deadlines for completion be changed (be careful about making
these changes -- know why efforts are behind schedule before times are changed)?

Procedure for Changing the Plan

Regarding any changes to the plan, write down answers to the questions:

1. What is causing changes to be made?

2. Why the changes should be made (the "why" is often different
than "what is causing" the changes).

3. What specific changes should be made, including to goals, objectives,
responsibilities and timelines?

Reminders:
Manage the various versions of the plan (including by putting a new date
on each new version of the plan).

Always keep old copies of the plan.

===== GOALS, RESPONSIBILITIES, TIMELINES AND BUDGETS ======

As much as possible, goals should be specified to be "SMARTER",
that is, specific, measurable, acceptable to those people working to achieve
the goal, realistic, timely, extending the capabilities of those working
to achieve the goals and rewarding to them, as well.